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For the second time this year, Calgary Zoo gorillas escaped their enclosure after an employee allegedly left the door ajar between their space and the kitchen where their food is prepared. No one was injured, but zoo officials are reviewing safety protocols.

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A 4-year-old boy who reportedly crawled into a gorilla enclosure, then fell into a moat at the Cincinnati Zoo was picked up and dragged by Harambe, a 400-pound male gorilla, for 10 minutes before a zoo response team shot and killed the animal. Harambe's death has sparked criticism, but zoo staff stood by their decision to kill rather than sedate the gorilla, noting that the boy was in a life-threatening situation.

Calgary Zoo staff euthanized their 14-month-old Gentoo penguin, Houdini, because he was gravely ill and not responding to treatment. A necropsy revealed he was suffering from severe aspergillosis, a fungal infection that also claimed the lives of two other penguins at the zoo this year. Head zoo veterinarian Sandie Black thinks flooding may have promoted fungal growth.

The Little Rock Zoo's 62-year-old female elephant, Jewell, has been euthanized after being found recumbent in her enclosure. A subsequent necropsy identified tuberculosis but concluded her death was due to other health problems. Zoo staff who were in close contact with Jewell may have contracted tuberculosis and they will be tested appropriately, state veterinarian Susan Weinstein said, but zoo visitors are not at risk because they do not have close contact with the animals.

For the first time in 17 years, a tiger gave birth to a cub at the London Zoo. Five-year-old Melati, a Sumatran tiger, delivered the apparently healthy cub under the watchful eye of zookeepers on Sept. 22, and the birth was captured on camera. Video monitoring of the mother and cub continues, and the little one will stay off exhibit for a few more weeks.

Two Humboldt penguins at Alberta's Calgary Zoo died this week despite intensive care. Zoo veterinarian Doug Whiteside said initial necropsy results suggest the penguins died due to infection caused by Chlamydophila psittaci, bacteria implicated in outbreaks at other zoos and also found in wild birds. Although the diagnosis has not been confirmed, staff have begun treating the remaining birds with antibiotics. Dr. Whiteside thinks the penguins' immunity was compromised because they recently molted, a process that can cause physiological stress that predisposes them to illness.